Two months and one year later, in the palace of the State of Qi.
“A commoner is blameless, yet his possession of a jade makes him guilty.” After obtaining the “Kaitian Seal” and the “Four Symbols Seal” and returning, to prevent King Zhuang of Chu and four other Dharma Bodies from joining forces to attack Qi, Meng Qi proposed using the inheritance of the “Kaitian Seal” and the “Four Symbols Seal” to form alliances and counterattack. He aimed to win over most of the Dharma Bodies and suppress King Zhuang of Chu and his allies. After all, they lacked the “Yuanshi Golden Scripture” and were unaware that Meng Qi and Duke Huan of Qi had already obtained it. No matter how much they cultivated the “Kaitian Seal” and the “Four Symbols Seal,” they could at best comprehend similar techniques but would never truly master them.
Duke Huan of Qi shared this view. However, since the “Kaitian Seal” and the “Four Symbols Seal” belonged to Meng Qi, he could not make decisions unilaterally and had to wait for Meng Qi to propose it first.
The first to benefit naturally was King Wu of Han, with whom Meng Qi had reached a verbal cooperation agreement. After some secret dealings, the attacking forces led by King Zhuang of Chu and other Dharma Bodies collapsed internally. Now, places like the Golden Light Cave are filled with tension and hardship.
Inside a quiet chamber of the palace, Meng Qi sat cross-legged, surrounded by dazzling lights. Within his acupoints, starry rivers surged forth at times, brilliant rays shot out and solidified into an apricot-yellow small flag, purple smoke coalesced into a bell, black and white transformed into a mirror, his feet trod upon earth, fire, wind, and water, golden crows and jade rabbits flew across the sky—manifestations too numerous to list. Especially notable was the opening of his ancestral cavity: his left eye black, his right eye white, deep within which flickered an ancient lamp of indescribable color, radiating infinite karmic light.
Gradually, all the phenomena receded, leaving only the ancient lamp. Around Meng Qi, strands of primordial chaos qi formed, swirling and being inhaled through his nostrils, though exhaled as purple mist of celebration.
The purple mist rose, forming a celebratory cloud three feet above Meng Qi’s head, facing the Niwan Palace at a distance, illuminating it with a faint swirl of primordial chaos.
Suddenly, bells and drums sounded in midair, auspicious clouds and strange lights brightened, the celebratory cloud released a golden lamp, and the Niwan Palace slowly opened!
A surge of primordial chaos qi erupted, surrounding an ancient and profound object—neither flag nor axe, colorless yet containing all colors. This was the “Pangu Banner” illusion derived from Meng Qi’s “Kaitian Seal.” After more than a year of arduous cultivation, he had finally entered the threshold!
As the “Pangu Banner” appeared, the chamber dimmed, walls and the outside world seemed to vanish, space was pulled inward, forming a spherical void enclosing Meng Qi, as if he were seated in true primordial chaos.
Seizing the moment, Meng Qi manifested his Dharma Body. Behind him was a dark, chaotic expanse, neither top nor bottom, no front or back. At its core appeared to sit a Daoist figure—if observed closely, one would find nothing but a point, a describable point.
This was the nearly perfected “Immortal Primordial Image”!
Suddenly, the Primordial Daoist opened his eyes. One eye contained the ancient lamp radiating black and white light; the other revealed the small banner wrapped in primordial chaos. The dark and chaotic void split apart, and the Yellow Flag, Purple Bell, ancient seals, jade boxes, and more soared forth, emitting infinite light. Infinite universes emerged, their shadows overlapping, vast and boundless. Correspondingly, acupoints within Meng Qi’s body opened one by one, displaying the same scenes!
A phantom emerged from his body—half-transparent, half-substantial, bearing Meng Qi’s exact appearance. This was clearly his Yuan Shen (Original Spirit).
The “Primordial Daoist” slowly rose, took a step forward, and perfectly merged with the Yuan Shen. The ancient lamp and small banner illuminated his eyes and ancestral cavity, the Fan Heaven Seal and Yin-Yang Seal alternated in his hands, the Wuji Seal and Void Seal fused with his legs, the purple bell became his heart, and the red, green, black, and white colors depicted his internal organs.
The two struggled, merging with extreme difficulty.
At that moment, Meng Qi softly grunted. Thunder echoed throughout the chamber, his physical acupoints vibrated, each producing a corresponding resonance, like a series of secret exorcism incantations!
In an instant, a kind of bold and unrestrained, indomitable, self-reliant, life-seeking yet fearless willpower erupted from the Primordial Spirit, piercing through both the physical body and the Dharma Body, surging like a tide that washed over everything.
Crackling sounds erupted, and the Yuan Shen and Dharma Body’s merging speed suddenly accelerated, releasing boundless pure light!
When the light faded, only one Daoist remained behind Meng Qi, bearing his exact appearance but appearing even more profound, exuding an unfathomable, primordial aura.
Third Heaven Ladder cleared—his Yuan Shen and Dharma Body had initially fused, slightly integrated with his physical body. Meng Qi had finally crossed the threshold, becoming a true Grand Master, achieving the Eighth-Ninth Heaven!
Once the three fully fuse, Dharma principles and laws will be internally embodied, the inner scenery will evolve into a true world, and self-contained cultivation will begin—that is the Dharma Body.
The Daoist returned into the body, Meng Qi closed his eyes and reopened them, no longer displaying any divine anomalies, only clear and profound pupils.
He slowly stood up, his robe fluttering, countless illusory dust particles drifting off, as if they were the dust of time.
Then Meng Qi chose to return.
…
After returning to the Immortal Trace, Meng Qi directly entered the Biyou Palace and found Yan Wuwo, the “Flying Sky Yaksha,” who was guarding the place today.
After long contemplation of the “Dao Transmission Across the Universe,” Yan Wuwo had secretly crossed the Third Heaven Ladder, becoming another semi-Dharma Body within the Immortal Trace.
“Senior Yan, please activate the Biyou Palace’s forbidden techniques. I have urgent matters,” Meng Qi said directly.
Yan Wuwo, wearing the “Taiyi Heavenly Venerable” mask, looked deeply at Meng Qi and nodded in agreement without asking further.
Once the forbidden techniques were activated, Meng Qi entered the secret chamber. Yan Wuwo gazed at the spot where Meng Qi’s figure disappeared, lost in thought, murmuring inwardly: “Facing him, I actually felt a bit of the pressure one feels before a Dharma Body…”
Previously, he hadn’t noticed, but now, upon meeting again, his evaluation of Meng Qi boiled down to four words:
Unfathomably profound!
…
Inside the secret chamber hung three portraits. In the center was the Yuanshi Tianzun, on the left was the Lingbao Tianzun, and on the right was the Daode Tianzun. Meng Qi slowly walked forward and sat cross-legged beneath them, his eyes half-closed.
Suddenly, a massive skeleton appeared before Meng Qi. Its entire body was pitch-black, yet faint white light flowed through it, embodying the profound mystery of life and death—the Yellow Springs Skeleton.
His eyes suddenly flared open. The left eye was pitch-black, the right eye pure and crystalline, each with half of an indescribably colored ancient lamp deep within.
His forehead split open, revealing the ancestral cavity. Meng Qi continuously formed seals with his hands, and the ancient lamps within his eyes gradually floated out, transitioning from illusion to reality.
The lamp shone like a tiny star, neither black nor white, radiating infinite rays of light, alternating between black and white, illuminating the Yellow Springs Skeleton!
After gathering the eight seals, Meng Qi’s cultivation of the “Dao Yi Seal” indeed accelerated. Two months ago, he had quietly entered its threshold. However, instead of forming the “Dao Yi Ancient Seal” he had seen during the true intent inheritance, he retained the ancient lamp illusion he had previously developed, blending it with insights from the “Dao Transmission Across the Universe.”
This was because he recalled Yang Jian’s message—”On the path of legends, one must first see oneself. Each person’s path differs. Before finding one’s ‘self,’ observing predecessors’ methods will influence one’s own path, repeating theirs.” Therefore, he deliberately retained something distinct from Yuanshi Tianzun.
At least for now, the “ancient lamp” he had developed could indeed demonstrate the power of the Dao Yi Seal.
With the “Dao Yi Seal” mastered, using the “Yellow Springs Skeleton” to locate the Yellow Springs Reincarnation Body and thus discover the final whereabouts of the Zhenwu Emperor became the top priority. If this could lead to obtaining the complete “Seven Swords Severing Heaven” manual, then all this effort would be worthwhile!
Under the enigmatic and illusory glow of the black-and-white lantern, the space surrounding the Yellow Springs Skeleton gradually turned transparent and lofty. Countless dazzling threads of karma emerged, too numerous to tally, linking to the skeleton and stretching backward toward the “Dao Yi Glazed Lantern” before Meng Qi.
So many karmic threads, countless transformations in between—even legendary experts might struggle to find the connection between the Yellow Springs Reincarnation Body and the skeleton if they weren’t particularly adept at karmic principles… Meng Qi’s thoughts surged, yet his mind remained calm. If legendary experts couldn’t do it, he might still succeed, for he had preliminarily mastered the most mysterious of the Yuanshi Nine Seals—the “Dao Yi Seal”—possessing a slight characteristic of “The Cause of All Effects”!
He recalled all matters connected to the Zhenwu Emperor. The lamp flickered, and suddenly changed. Countless karmic threads vanished, leaving only dozens of billions visible to the naked eye.
The Yellow Springs and Zhenwu were deeply entwined. He also needed to learn Zhenwu’s final whereabouts from him. Therefore, the karmic threads must simultaneously connect to both.
After filtering through the “Dao Yi Seal,” only a minuscule fraction of the karmic threads remained.
But this still wasn’t enough!
Tracing and confirming each thread would take an unknown amount of time, especially since the Yellow Springs Reincarnation Body itself would deliberately conceal and erase such connections!
His hands shifted seals, and the “Daoist Glazed Lamp” floating before him suddenly grew indistinct. Previously, it had hovered between reality and illusion, but now it had become entirely illusory.
Within the tiny lamp light, the Yellow Springs Skeleton’s image appeared, surrounded by the same karmic threads, yet closer to illusion.
This was a replicated mirror image. Currently, Meng Qi couldn’t manipulate real karmic threads, only alter the mirror image.
Recalling the Wuyou Flower, the karmic threads within the lamp’s reflection dwindled to only a few—those connected to the Yellow Springs, Zhenwu, and Wuyou Valley. Then, Meng Qi effortlessly located the karmic thread linking the Zhenwu Emperor to the release of the Yellow Springs Demon God.
Then, his entire body shimmered with a pale golden hue, his physical form trembling visibly under immense strain, while the flickering light of the “Dao Yi Seal” lamp wavered unsteadily.
The mirror image karmic thread abruptly changed, simulating a scenario where the Zhenwu Emperor left on his own, without taking Yellow Springs with him!
With a thunderous boom, a surge of black and white light erupted around the True Yellow Springs Skeleton, radiating from several karmic threads. Provoked by the transformation of the mirror, they unveiled their presence.
Among them, two or three threads weren’t even among those previously visible, concealed within the void. They had eluded detection even under the initial illumination of the “Dao Yi Glazed Lamp,” yet under the unique essence of “The Cause of All Effects,” they ultimately could not escape!
“It’s you!” Meng Qi suddenly thrust both palms forward, the “Dao Yi Seal” lamp light returned to normal, and the real karmic threads around the Yellow Springs Skeleton vanished, leaving only these few!
His consciousness seized the opportunity, flew out through the “Dao Yi Seal,” and latched onto one karmic thread, tracing it backward.
His consciousness was like a lightning bolt in an infinite universe, bursting and leaping forward rapidly, continuously splitting into countless small thunderbolts, leaving behind dazzling trails, traversing all branches of this karmic thread.
Meng Qi’s mind felt both empty and not empty, sensing and distinguishing the feedback from countless karmic threads, feeling as if his Yuan Shen and mind were about to burst.
Unknown how much time had passed, his right hand suddenly shot out, the “Dao Yi Seal” appeared in his palm, black-and-white swirling light enveloped his body, and his Yuan Shen departed, diving into one karmic thread!
…
A villa stood in the suburbs, brightly lit yet eerily silent.
Several police detectives drove up to the villa gate, their expressions grim, each on high alert as they cautiously opened the door.
Looking inside through the gate, their gazes froze, cold sweat breaking out as if they had fallen into the ninth circle of hell.
Inside the villa, an elderly man with graying hair leaned against the edge of the stairs, his chest and abdomen torn open, intestines hanging from the handrail, his organs scattered on the floor. A noblewoman sat on the sofa, holding her own head in her hands, smiling. The rest were more than a dozen corpses, blood everywhere, limbs severed, their deaths bizarre and grotesque.
Beside the crystal chandelier stood a boy of seven or eight, pale-faced, eyes vacant, seemingly stunned by terror.
The entire villa had only one survivor—he alone lived, his face illuminated by the lights, revealing a faint greenish pallor.
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